Mind Games (Avengers Wrong Number Fugitive [Natasha Romanoff x teen])

7. I NEED YOUR HE- HYDRA

Nat's POV

I've started working harder on the Augustine Miller Case. It's a mission after all, but it intrigues me. She's right here in New York, twisted in the webs of both SHIELD and Hydra. So it really shouldn't be that hard to catch her. After all, I found her on that rooftop fairly easily when she let her guard down. By that logic, she should already be caught.

But she's not. And to make it worse, I'm ghosting Pillow at the moment.

I got the chills when a girl in a navy sweater walked away from me, just as a girl named Abigail came forward. It could just be a coincidence, but the 'what if it's not' hangs in the air. Pillow is August? Pillow did say something about hating spies, and August said she was manipulated by Hydra.

So I'm stuck researching everything. Everything I can find on Augustine, while ignoring the rapid spam of texts I'm getting from Pillow. If she is August, I can't trust her. And if she's not, I'm sorry. I tried hacking her phone again, but it was of no use. Clint tried as well and came back empty with a virus of poop emojis all across his laptop.

I would ask Stark, but as Clint and I didn't get close, and we're not 100% it's her, we're leaving it blank. And I've found everything I can find on August.

She's originally from Cleveland, Ohio. Went to one of two all girl schools in the area, and had high markings at a young age. Until her parents, Margot and Daniel died along with her younger brother Ronan. She was placed in foster care... just to disappear. 

Pillow's an orphan too. 

Fuzzy memories of a mission taking place around the time August's parents died in 2017 spark in my mind. It was just another mission but something happened that shouldn't have. I remember asking for a memory wipe after this and not getting it approved. So my own brain cast it aside. A possible guilt-ridden trauma response that won't allow me to forget or remember. The grey area floating around making me not able to decipher what happened, who I hurt, if it was a coincidence August's parents died around that time... or not.

Two days pass since the spam of texts and the deep dive study on the girl. I did read Pillow's interaction with Yelena, and my sister found her funny. Though Yelena was too excited at first to get the memo not to give away anything. Now Pillow knows we're Russian and sisters. And that Pillow makes me happy. It's not terrible things, but if Pillow is August sooner or later she'll piece it together. If she's not August- she's still smart enough to realize some things she shouldn't. So keeping it to a minimum is always smart. 

But August does know Russian, as does Pillow.

I finally will myself to look at Pillow's spam.

Pillow

BULLET SAVER
Bullet Saver
BS
BS
BS
HELP
HELP
PLEASE
I THINK IT'S HYDRA
I SAID I DON'T LIKE BAD SPIES
are u there
ther here
they want me
i dont want them
u new how to take bullet out of my arm
they r scary
i need help
do yk how to fight hydra?
they here
ill try my best
if i die, i luv u
byee

Two days ago. Pillow fought against Hydra two days ago. She could be okay, or she could not. Either way I haven't heard back.

Pillow

Pillow!
PILLOW
are you okay?
where are you now?
are you safe?

No response. It can only mean the worst. It doesn't matter if August is Pillow or not, no one deserves Hydra. If August was ever Hydra, she's against them now. Just like some of the team members on the Avengers, and countless SHIELD agents devoted to our cause for good.